Updates from Frederick Smith, former Detroiter living in Los Angeles, and author of Play It Forward (January 2015), Right Side of the Wrong Bed (December 2007), and Down For Whatever (July 2005).
www.FrederickLSmith.com

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

The 1988 Boys.

I'm so excited with the new school year. Feeling just a tad "experienced" seeing that the new college freshmen are born in 1988... and I had a thriving angst-filled teen life in 1988.

But the cool thing is that so many who are LGBT -- and of color -- are out and proud and their families know and so do their friends, old ones and new ones. That's so freaking cool and such a change from when I was a college freshman, or sophomore, or even junior. After junior year, I just said eff it. Who cares?

It's fun/ny seeing them in their 18-y.o. "power clik" running around campus, getting involved in leadership opportunities already, finding their first jobs, helping each other with boy drama, linking up their MySpace pages, and just being the 1988 boys they are. Somehow they've all found me and my office. Go figure. That's cool. I like mentoring and knowing I can live my life when I go home.

And hopefully making a difference. Reading Clay Cane's site yesterday (He's Got HIV) made me a little reflective, sad, yet hopeful, that maybe these 1988 boys will love themselves enough to make good choices about themselves and their romantic choices.

If you had some words of advice, or could live your 18-year-old life again, what would you offer to the 1988 boys?fs